00:00Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul is preparing for coalition talks
00:06after a strong election showing for his conservative Bhum Jai Thai party.
00:11Early results show Bhum Jai Thai has won almost 200 seats in the vote on Sunday.
00:16That puts the party well ahead of its rivals,
00:20but still short of an outright majority in the 500-member lower house.
00:24The Progressive People's Party, which had been tipped to win the most seats,
00:30came in second with just over 100 seats.
00:33Bhum Jai, the populist party linked to former Prime Minister Tak Sin Shinawat, came in third.
00:38Voter turnout was around 65%, down from about 75% in the 2023 election.
00:45The election was called by Anutin in December, less than 100 days after he took office.
00:50Analysts said a wave of nationalism following a border clash with Cambodia late last year
00:56helped consolidate the conservative vote and propelled Anutin to victory.
01:01We think Thailand is now in a steady state,
01:06and we look forward to moving on with even a stronger cabinet and government.
01:18Asked about forming a coalition, Anutin said he wants a government with a strong majority,
01:24but is still waiting on the final results.
01:27Coalition talks are expected to begin in the coming days.
01:30Bhum Jai Thai's commanding lead could make it easier to form a coalition
01:33and reduce the risk of further political instability.
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